Iroh's Lament
by BendingMetal
Summary: Years have passed and the Gaang has been caught up in keeping the peace worldwide. That is, until they are drawn together by an unfortunate accident that befalls Iroh. The gaang is forced to deal with grief, and what it means to find peace in their lifetimes. Meanwhile, Iroh is set to right the only thing he regrets from his long life, the loss of his son Lu Ten. Character Death.
1. Chapter 1

Welcome to my story. As the summary mentioned, this story will focus on Iroh, Fire Lord Zuko, and the rest of the Gaang as they enter a new chapter in their lives. I plan on updating weekly, and the chapters will most likely be short. The OCs will be one off characters. With all that said, let's get on with it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or these characters.

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Ira hummed to herself as she traversed the stony streets of the middle ring. The tune was something she learned from Iroh, one of many he hummed to himself as he worked. She was lucky, having worked for him since the liberation of Ba Sing Sei. Sure it had drawn her some funny looks, working for a Fire Nation invader, but soon everyone remembered him as kind Uncle Mushi again and business picked back up.

Her eyes lifted from the dusty path towards a figure in front of her. Her cheeks grew hot as she recognized who it was. Greeting Garu with a nod and a giggle muffled by her sleeve, she resisted the urge to look away. His eyes lit up as they met hers, and he flashed a lopsided grin as his face flushed before he ducked his head. Iroh had mentioned that he thought they would make a cute couple once, and she was sure her face was pink. As she continued toward the Jasmine Dragon, a smile playing across her face, she thought it would be a good idea to ask Iroh for his opinion again.

Bypassing the front doors, where she herself would be stationed in just a few hours to bow and honor guests as they entered, Ira let herself into a side entrance. Iroh had insisted on living in the back apartments of his shop, and she could hear him clattering around in the kitchen already. Chuckling softly to herself, she slipped off her shoes to follow the noise and marveled at how early Firebenders would rise.

"Iroh? Is that you back there?" She called as she neared the source of the noise. The clattering momentarily stopped, and she called out again. "Iroh? It's me, Ira!"

"Ira, good morning!" Iroh greeted the young girl, his voice echoing through the empty building before the noise resumed.

"What are you doing so early in the morning?" She asked, having entered the kitchen. There were already several pots carefully arranged over small fires, and she shook her head. Even getting here so early and she was so far behind him already. Rolling up her sleeves and pulling her apron over her head, she bustled to prepare some cakes to serve with the tea as he replied.

"I am looking for this ceramic pot from the Eastern Earth Kingdom! I think it's just… right here…" Iroh said, the last few words strained as he reached for something in one of the teapot storage rooms. Yes, Iroh had multiple storage rooms dedicated just to teapots. He claimed each one would imbibe the tea with its own unique flavor.

His labored grunts were drowned out by the sound of smashing of ceramic against tile floors. A sharp yelp came from the other room, and Ira dropped the mixing bowl she had just picked up as she jumped at the noise, its contents splattering on the bottom of her dress as the bowl shattered.

"Iroh!?" She asked, alarmed. There was a loud thump accompanied by a softer groan. "Iroh!" Ira cried out as she rushed to the storage rooms. Her breath froze in her lungs as she stopped in the doorway of one of the rooms.

"I found the pot." Iroh said weakly from his position on the floor. He was cradling a pot on his stomach as he lay flat on his back, the remains of a couple others surrounding him.

Finally finding the power to move her limbs, she rushed over to his side, not noticing that she had stepped on some of the broken pottery herself. Ripping the pot from his hands, ignoring his muttered protests to be careful, she set it on the ground next to them and tried to help him up.

"Iroh, why weren't you more careful? I could have gotten that!" She reproached him, eyeing the stepladder next to him, and the pots missing from the highest shelf. "You could have hurt yourself!"

Iroh rested a hand on her shoulder, making her pause as she tried to get an arm underneath him. "Ira." He said gravely, golden eyes boring into hers. "I need you to get the doctor. Please."

A shudder of fright went through her at his serious tone, and she stood up hastily. "Are… are you sure? I think you will be fine with some-"

"Please Ira. I need you to go quickly." He interrupted her, folding his hands over his belly and staring mournfully at the ceiling. "I shall wait here patiently and grieve the loss of my broken teapots."

She laughed at his joke despite herself, the tears starting to drip from her eyelashes. "I'll… I'll go. I'll be right back! Don't get up ok Iroh?" She jabbered, backing out of the room. Taking one last look at the elderly man flat on his back, his white hair splayed out around him, with some of the locks tinged in red and his robes twisted around his legs. Broken pottery was scattered around the floor of the room.

Finally gathering her wits about her, Ira whirled around and padded to the side door she entered through. She picked up speed as the panic started to build, forgetting her shoes by the door. She only made it a few steps past the door before the rough cobblestone tripped her, and she fell roughly on the harsh stone. A grunt of pain escaped her lips.

"Ira?" She looked up into Garu's face as he approached her, concern evident on his face. 'What did you do?" He skidded to a stop in front of her, dropping to his knees as he took her hands in his. She looked down at their hands, as he blurted out, "You are bleeding!" He analyzed her scraped hands, before his eyes settled on her feet. "What happened! Your feet are bleeding too!"

Ira caught her breath, tears streaming down her face. "Garu! It's, it's Iroh! He fell, we need the doctor!" She panted, roughly pulling a hand out of his and rubbing at her eyes. "Please! I think he's hurt!"

Garu's face paled, and he nodded grimly. "Stay here, I'll be right back!" He declared as he scrambled to his feet and started to jog away.

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I hope you've enjoyed the first chapter and that it's left you ready for more. Next update should be on Friday, as will all updates then on. I would appreciate reviews and feedback, as these characters and this story mean quite a bit to me. Thank you for reading.


	2. Chapter 2

It seemed fitting to post this chapter on Halloween.

I am purposefully making it unclear when exactly this story takes place within the Avatar timeline. I feel it is unimportant to the story. But I do want to establish that this takes years after the comics and the events in the show.

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender

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Aang's eyes attempted to pierce the darkness, though it was in vain. He was barely breathing, his heart pounding inside his chest as he stood motionless. The silence pressed upon his ears, as his senses struggled to pick up any indication of where he was.

Something skittered behind him. Aang whirled around, trying to keep the fright from numbing his senses as the sound sent a familiar shudder down his spine. The darkness was just as impenetrable this direction, and he swallowed the urge to call out. Whatever was out there, he didn't want to make his presence known.

His attempts at keeping a level head were failing. The sound came again, thousands of sharp, clicking feet creeping around him. The sound made his skin crawl, as an all too familiar chuckle greeted his ears.

"I knew we would meet again." The voice resonated against the stone walls, as the thick mass moved and uncoiled from around the entrance of the cave, brightening the room. The walls appeared to be moving, and Aang's gaze darted around searching for what he knew was coming. It was difficult to keep his face neutral, the absolute terror building in his chest too much to contain. He was unable to speak.

"I'd ask what brought you here. But it wasn't really a choice, was it." The creature spoke, his face still hidden. The tapping of his feet was growing louder, oppressing all other thoughts in Aang's mind. "It's fate that we meet again. You were lucky to escape me last time. But it won't happen again."

Aang took a deep breath, knowing the creature was coming, but he still flinched physically when the painted face drifted down from above him, the movement lazy in its swaying. The chuckle resonated through the cave again, just as the thousands of feet came to an abrupt stop.

The master of faces stared at him, the slight smirk of the pink lips contrasting sharply against the white face. "You don't remember why you are here, do you." The smirk deepened. "It should be easy to figure out. After all…" His face blinked into another, long hair cascading out of the folds, framing a tanned face and shimmering eyes. The sight of it made Aang's breath freeze. His limbs became jelly as he stared into this new face. "Love makes people do… dangerous things." The face demon turned away, the clicking of his spiked feet resuming on the stone walls.

"Katara." Aang breathed, his neutral expression wavering.

"Don't worry. I made sure it was quick and painless. I didn't leave her alive to suffer as I have done with other Water Tribes. Of course, that does mean she is a faceless spirit now. Come to think of it, I'm actually not sure which is worse. Hmm." Koh mused to himself.

Aang's hands clenched into fists. "You… you monster."

"You might want to be careful Avatar. You should know better than anyone what happens when one enters my home."

Aang reclaimed his neutral expression just as the beast turned around, wearing the face of a young Fire Nation soldier. "Others had to learn that lesson the hard way." The face gave a cheeky grin, before slowly blinking again into another woman's face, this one pale and wrinkled. "Do you know what my favorite part is?" He chuckled, the wizened face grinning maliciously. "It's when they realize what's about to happen. That look of horror that descends upon their face." He demonstrated, the woman's face twisting in horror, a silent scream in the open mouth.

He flipped to another face, a young man, also twisted in horror. A deep chuckle started from the demon, as his face flipped to an old man. Aang tried to keep his wits about him as the face blinked again, a lemur, the chuckle growing louder as he quickly flashed into the next one. The blinking quickened each face a picture of silent terror, as Koh seemed to flip through all the faces in his arsenal, each one reflecting the terror Aang felt building up in his chest as the sinister laughter filled his ears.

The switching finally halted, the face Aang was dreading staring him in the face, fear apparent in the clear blue eyes and marring the otherwise beautiful features. Aang couldn't take it anymore. His face broke, tears starting to stream down his face as he glared at the abomination with as much hate as he could muster. "Give her back!" Aang shouted.

Katara's face twisted into an evil grin, before the face blinked. An unsettling cold spread over Aang, as he quickly tried to wipe his face clean of emotion. He was unable to see Katara's face anymore, unable to see anything. He struggled to open his mouth, finding his breath difficult to catch.

"Very few Airbenders are brave enough to face me. And I've never gotten one to break before, something about detaching themselves from worldly concerns. I thank you for your contribution, Avatar." The voice was muffled, and Aang's hands instantly went to his ears. His fingers met smooth flesh instead.

The eruption of fear dropped Aang to his knees. His trembling hands ran up the sides of his head, finding where the stubble of his hair ended, the semicircle indicating where his ears should have been. Bile rose in his throat as his fingers followed the arch of his cheekbones, following them to the front of his face. It was all smooth, no indication of any features. He opened his mouth to scream, searing pain from the ripping of flesh that finally allowed air into his lungs as his scream echoed through the cave, mingling with the harsh laughter of the Face Stealer.

/ / /

Iroh was in the midst of one of those unfortunate dreams, one which you know you are dreaming but you are unable to wake up or manage the dream.

"I got you dad!" The young boy's voice echoed across the field. This wasn't right. Iroh should have caught up to the child by now. But there was no tree, no hill, no child.

"Where are you my son?" Iroh called out into the sunlight, but there was no answer. "Lu Ten?" Panic gripped the man's heart as he spun in circles, searching for a sign of… anything, beyond this endless green plain.

The cry echoing from the distance sent chills through Iroh's blood. "Father? Where are you?" This was not the cry of his playful little boy, but the shout of the young man he grew to be.

Iroh started running, his robes flapping about him as he made his way blindly. In the distance, he could see the top of a tree, the branches bare. At first glance, he believed it to be the tree from long ago, but as he approached, it became apparent it was not. This tree was gnarled, the bark twisting up and around the massive trunk, its roots exposed and as bare and jagged as the branches above. His steps slowed, his legs turning wooden and slowly he sank to his knees. Unable to bring himself any closer, he despaired at the sight of the distant tree. A scream, echoing to him from across the distance, was finally enough to wake Iroh up.

/ / /

Aang shot up in bed, his shouting driving him awake. "Aang!" Katara's voice rang out, as his eyes settled on their bedroom. Her arms were wrapped around his shoulders, one hand soothingly stroking his back. "It's ok Aang, its just a nightmare." Her silky voice setting his heart at ease. He twisted sideways towards her, his hand landing on her knee and following her leg up her body, tracing along her hips and grazing across her breast, resting on her shoulder before fingers tracing up her neck and finding her ear. His other arm snaked around her waist as he traced her cheekbones and ghosting over her eye, feeling the eyebrow and eyelashes tickling his fingertips.

"Aang what are you-" She was cut off by his mouth mashing into hers, as he cupped her face, thumb tracing the edge of her mouth and nose. Katara was resistant at first, surprised by his passion and intensity. But she soon acquiesced to her husband, allowing him to seek comfort in his own fervent way.

Once the panic had subsided, and his kisses turned from desperate to gentle, Katara finally, gently pushed Aang back. He knew the question was coming, and found the answer coming from his mouth before she could speak.

"Something's wrong with Iroh."

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Next chapter will be up on Friday. Please let me know what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender

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Fire Lord Zuko rubbed his temples. There was only so much he could do in a day, and lately it didn't feel like it was enough. He surveyed the various pieces of correspondence in front of him from various places around the world. There was a small mountain in front of him, mostly various people requesting aid or reparations for the aftermath of the war. Others were letters either berating him or glorifying what he did for the war, some asking for autographs and others for his head. A few scrolls were personal correspondence, branded by personal seals and ribbons.

He groaned loudly. He usually made it a point to respond to each and every one, his attempt to make the Fire Lord less of an imposing and ominous idea and more into an actual reachable person. But once word got out, the letters started pouring in. Their hawk sanctuary had to be expanded and more staff hired to care for the birds before they were sent back to their respective homes. It seemed like a ridiculous notion now, but it would be difficult to bring the project to a halt after pursuing it for so long.

He closed his eyes and reached into the pile, grabbing one at random. If he kept staring at all the letters that were in front of him, sent just in the past few days, he would never get started. His fingers wrapped around a thin scroll, tied shut with a silky ribbon. Keeping his eyes closed, he slipped the ribbon off the end and unraveled it before his closed eyes.

Taking a deep breath, bracing himself for another death threat or plea for resources that he could not deliver, he snapped his eyes open. The green ribbon lying on his desk stood out from the still-bound scrolls wrapped in ribbons of gold and red.

'Iroh' was the first word his eyes settled on, halfway down the page. He scanned the paper, his throat tightening as he read it.

"Iroh suffered an accident…"

"…fell from a ladder…"

"I've been taken care of him…."

"…bedridden…"

"…not much time left…"

The scroll crumpled in his hands. His whole body was trembling, he was blinking furiously as his brain spun. Iroh was hurt? He struggled to steady his hands, to look at the page closer. He had to read over the parchment four times before he could grasp the full meaning.

The letter crumpled in his hands as the emotions charged through him. He hadn't felt this way even when he received the news of his own father's untimely death. Mind spinning with these and other thoughts, he felt sick to his stomach. How many times had his uncle invited him to Ba Sing Sei, only for him to postpone each meeting? How many times had he started a letter to send to his uncle, but got preoccupied with other tasks and neglected to finish?

His uncle had tried to teach him to think things through. It was difficult to hold that lesson in mind now. Zuko's hands slammed onto the table as he swiftly stood, his heavy chair tipping backwards and crashing to the ground. His chest heaved with heavy, almost ragged breaths.

The action provided a certain degree of clarity in his mind, and his hand plunged into the pile of scrolls in front of him. Soon after, his other hand joined, pushing aside and searching through the scrolls to find one wrapped with an orange ribbon. He ripped it off and pulled open the scroll so fast it tore. His eyes scanned the page until they settled on the relevant words.

"…should be stopping by within two weeks…"

He crumpled the paper in frustration. That was too long. He needed Appa now! He went to collapse into his chair, only to tumble on the overturned seat and falling to the ground. Defeated and overwhelmed, he lay flat on his back and stared at the ceiling. The last time Fire Lord Zuko had shed tears, was during his last day as Prince. Being reunited with his uncle, being able to finally make his apologies right before the comet, those tears were nothing like these. These tears stung, felt like they came directly from his heart.

Even as he lay on the floor, his mind was churning. Even if he left now in a blimp (a term given to them by Sokka, who decided that war balloon was too violent now that the war was over), it would take three weeks to get to Ba Sing Sei. He had to see his Uncle now! There had to be something else that could fly him there!

Frustrated, and without any answers, Fire Lord Zuko heaved himself off the floor, setting his chair upright. The antique wood monstrosity was designed to be intimidating, and Zuko knew from experience that if you sat wrong the carved wood would stab into your back. It was to force the occupant to sit upright, to be more imposing..

Dragons. There were dragons carved into the arms of the chair, twisted around to stare at the occupant. Dragons. He nearly knocked the chair over again. Bolting out of the room, his words echoed through the castle.

"Suki! Suki, get a blimp ready!"

/ / /

Iroh woke with a start from another nightmare. Watching his son's face melt away, replaced with a smooth expanse of skin, was his latest torment. The jolt of his body from the sudden awakening left him in agony, a flash of colors before his eyes from the pain wracking through his body.

He must have cried out in pain, for Ira bustled into the room, concern evident on her face. As always, she was carrying a tray laden with the tea of the day, his breakfast, and the latest array of medication.

"Good morning Iroh." She greeted him, keeping up her tradition of paying no attention to his weakened state. He was grateful for the girl, having taken it upon herself to care for him and keep him company. She never questioned when he asked her to fetch certain keepsakes, nor complained when he asked to be read to. And though she protested, she would leave him to his thoughts when he desired solitude.

Again, as was her tradition, she set him up with breakfast and tea in bed, reminding him to take his medication before she disappeared, giving him his morning solitude. He really should do something to show her his gratitude.

He was nearly done with his morning meal, having managed to choke down the wide variety of medicines before he finished his tea this time, when she knocked on his bedroom door before admitting herself.

"Uh, Iroh? I apologize for the interruption. But, well… I didn't know what to do with it." She explained as she approached, and his foggy mind took too long to realize she was referencing the hawk perched on her shoulder. Ira was doing well, keeping the panic out of her tone, but seeing as how she never had to deal with the birds before, she was freaking out.

Iroh grinned, outstretching a shrinking arm and giving a high pitched whistle. With a flapping of wings, the bird lifted from the girls shoulder, wrapping its sharp talons carefully around Iroh's forearm. The sudden weight made his arm shake, but the bird did not mind, waiting until he had removed the scroll from its back before taking off through the window Ira had smartly opened for it.

He didn't even have to read the note to know what it said, the ribbon alone giving it away before he could see the familiar scrawl. "Ira, please prepare our guest rooms. My nephew is coming for a visit." The knowledge made his heart lift, and he graced her with his first smile since his accident.

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Please leave a review!


	4. Chapter 4

My apologies for how late this chapter came.

I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender.

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Fire Lord Zuko was grateful, he really was. It was less than 14 hours since he had scrawled off a hasty reply to his uncle, and already in that time he had accomplished so much. As the wind streamed through his hair, his hands numb from clutching at the hair around the beast's neck, he was grateful. Terrified, but grateful. Because with his new dragon, he could reach Iroh before night fall.

/ / /

Aang had wasted no time either, though he had no way of knowing what his Firebending friend was doing half a world away. Katara hasn't questioned him when he sprang out of bed, his mind whirling with what he needed to do. And though he had tried to convince her to stay, and attend to political matters and their own personal affairs, she insisted on going. _Everything could wait_ , she had told him. _We have people that can take care of things until we get back._

She was right, of course. She always was.

They took off in the earlier hours of the morning, Appa grumbling still from being woken up so early. He had grown slower in his old age, but Aang thought it was Appa's way of testing him. They both knew though, that Aang would not choose another sky bison, no matter how much of a rush he was in.

"Aang? Will you tell me where we are going?" Katara's clear voice rose over the sound of the wind in their ears.

Aang chuckled in embarrassment, having just now realized he hadn't explained his plan. "Well, sweetheart, first we have to go to Forgetful Valley."

/ / /

Sokka's head felt the full force of the hand slamming onto his desk. He yelped and shot up, the movement knocking his chair over and causing him to tumble to the ground.

"Really Snoozles, sleeping with your head on the desk? When will you learn?" The blind Earthbender scolded him as he lay crumpled and tangled amongst his chair legs. One of her hands was solidly on his desk, the other clutching a poorly rolled up scroll.

The Water Tribe man rubbed the side of his head. "Hi, Toph. To what do I owe this pleasure?"

The woman crossed her arms over her metal chest plate. "Sokka, how long have you been asleep?" Though her eyes were partially obscured by the black bangs, he could see her eyebrows were drawn together in a glare.

He was going to ask her what time it was, but stopped himself just in time. If she was already irritated, the question would have only served to further aggravate Toph. He could hear her in his head just thinking about it. _I'm blind. How am I supposed to know what time it is?_

"Is everything alright Toph?" He settled on asking as he managed to stand up, righting the chair as he awaited her answer.

But it didn't come. It was then that he really looked at her. The parchment in her hand was crumpled from her clutching it so tightly, her hand shaking. "Toph?"

She flung the scroll in his direction. "You are never there when I need you! I had to have one of my officers read this to me!" She exclaimed, anger masking the other emotions in her voice. He hastily picked it up and unraveled the mess of paper, glancing over the neatly written words.

The parchment slipped from his fingers, understanding dawning on him simultaneously as dread settled in the pit of his stomach. "Iroh."

/ / /

Iroh tossed and turned, unable to wake from his fitful slumber. Even with the medicine to lure him into deep sleep, the dreams still found him.

Night after night he had to search for his son. Each nightmare built on the last, until finally he found his son only to watch as Lu Ten's face would melt away. Iroh could see the terror in his son's eyes just before they were absorbed into his head, or slipped off with the rest of his face, or burst into flame. The end result was always the same though, staring in horror at his son's featureless face.

Ira tried what she could to comfort him, waking him up throughout the night with more medicine, or tea, or merely providing a comforting presence. There were times though, that he mistook her for his deceased beloved, leaving him more melancholy as he sent her away, unable to cope with the reminder.

It was unfortunate, how Iroh was surrounded by so many reminders of the people who loved him, and he could only focus on those he had lost.

/ / /

The dragon cut through the sky faster than Appa ever had, and he made Ba Sing Sei soon after nightfall. Landing was another adventure in and of itself, the juvenile dragon not eager to lower itself into the maze of streets and people. He was grateful it was dark out, for most people would not have been prepared to see a mythical beast descend upon them. But it took far too long to find Iroh's tea shop in the dim light.

Landing in the back garden, the beast grumbled and rumbled as Zuko slid off its back. He apprehensively patted the beast on the snout. Druk's head was already as long as Zuko's body, and the fangs overhanging its mouth were difficult to look past. But the dragon nuzzled against him, seeking approval for a job well done. Zuko couldn't deny the beast.

Fire Lord Zuko made his way into the dark house through a side door, once he had gotten Druk to understand he could not come in. There was only a small bush set on fire, quickly extinguished, and Druk had settled in its ashes and fallen asleep.

Fire Lord Zuko entered his Uncle's humble bedroom, needing to see the man before he could settle for the night.

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My thanks to BlueLion for pointing out that my formatting did not carry over when I published my chapters. This has been corrected.

Please let me know what you think of my story!


	5. Chapter 5

Welcome back. Things will be picking up in the story shortly here, so thank you for sticking with it so far.

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar; the Last Airbender.

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The room was lit by a few low candles, their light sending flickering shadows through the room. A sour smell lingered in the room, presumably medicines to calm the old man.

He never understood his Uncle's decision to stay in Ba Sing Se, why he chose to put down roots and rebuild his life in the heart of the Earth Kingdom. Many times he had tried to convince the old man to join him in the Fire Nation, promising him his own tea shop, home, Pai Sho game center, anything he could think of to entice the man to come home. But Iroh had remained adamant that he was to stay in Ba Sing Se, that it would be his home now. Looking around the room, Lord Zuko could start to understand why.

The room erred on the side of cluttered, each surface concealed by carefully arranged items. Most were of simple origins, shells and stones from Ember Island, leaves and flowers pressed between glass from around the world, parchment rubbings of various signs and carvings. Certain objects had a wider berth of space around them, indicating a higher level of sentimental value.

Carved driftwood given to him by Sokka in the shapes of increasingly complex designs and finer quality. Dragons, turtle ducks, lion turtles, even a crude Appa lined one particular table.

Items from Katara filled the rest of the desk. Small water tribe jars that once held different tea leaves, balms and ointments, or the occasional morsels of dried meats were interspersed with fragments of light blue stones, ornaments made of different bones, and sketches of different exotic animals.

The opposite wall held items from Toph. Smooth spheres of rock and stone from the diverse environments she had traveled to, held up by metal bent specifically to keep them steady. In between the spheres were little figures made out of metal, renditions of the unique way Toph perceived the world. The scaling was horrendously off, the figures crude, but cherished all the same.

What held the most prominence, the things tacked along the walls and filling any free surface possible, were the items from Zuko. A model of the ship he served his banishment on, a task him and Toph had worked painstakingly on. Maps tracking the progress of the withdrawal of Fire Nation forces through the use of receding red and developing green. Commissioned portraits of Fire Lord Zuko, his mother and her family. There were various sets of Pai Sho tiles, and different collections of tea pots, the most esteemed being an uneven pot that Zuko had made himself.

The collection hung about the edges of the room, and at the center of it, the headboard against the wall, was Iroh's bed. The man himself was bedridden, his legs no longer strong enough to support him. Zuko's eyes settled on the bed last, having taken in everything else before he was brave enough to look to his Uncle. Searching past the bedposts and the long curtains tied back, towards the green comforter, trailing up to the pillows piled high, finally settling on the familiar yet more aged face of his beloved uncle. The man was sleeping peacefully for the moment, and Zuko found comfort in the sight.

/ / /

The next morning, Ira found the sleeping Fire Lord, reclined uncomfortably in a chair pulled close to Iroh's bedside. It was the first time she had entered the room to find Iroh still sleeping, and, though the sight startled her at first, she was grateful to see it. The still rising sun sent slanted rays of orange sunshine through the windows, illuminating the relatives.

A roar from outside rattled the windows in Iroh's room. Fire Lord Zuko's head jerked up, and Ira dropped her tray.

"What was that?" Iroh muttered, stirred from his slumber. "That did not sound like Appa."

Fire Lord Zuko stood up, his joints cracking out of their stiffness. He crossed to the window and released the latch. He leaned on the sill, poking his head out into the yard. Another rumble shook the room, and Ira could see Iroh struggle to sit up in his bed.

"Is that a tank?" Iroh grunted with the effort, concern laced in his tone. Ira bent to pick up the scattered breakfast, grateful that nothing broke.

Zuko backed away from the window, resting a hand on his Uncle's shoulder to ease the man. "No, nothing like that. It's uh…"

He was interrupted by the rattling of abandoned tea cups on the end table. He hurried over to the window again, shouts drifting in with the breeze.

"Its uh, kinda my dragon." Zuko mumbled as he moved to the window again. The shouts were growing louder, and a fireball came from around the side of the house, setting a bush on fire. He cringed, backing away from the window. He barely met Iroh's incredulous gaze before he turned to the door. "I have to go, I'll be right back!"

His hand had barely rested on the latch before there was another roar, rattling the room. It was close now, very close. "Prince Zuko, you have a dragon? I must be dreaming still." Iroh gasped in disbelief.

Before Zuko could explain further or even leave the room to go outside and find his dragon, the beast in question shoved his great head in through the window. It snuffled loudly, one of the green curtains hanging from his horn, torn from the wall. Upon seeing Zuko, its snuffling stopped and it let out another call, quieter this time with a lifting tone. Unfortunately it also accidentally spat out a fireball with its noise, but Zuko was able to dispel the ball.

There was a shuffling as the beast made itself comfortable outside, its head still thrust into the room as it exhaled noisily, sending a wave of hot air over the two men. Zuko approached his new pet with a hand out, and it eagerly rose its head and strained its neck to meet him. It sighed in contentment when Zuko's hand rested on it snout, closing its eyes as he tentatively rubbed.

Ira burst out laughing. The relatives looked to her, pressed tightly up against the wall as far away from the dragon as possible. She scurried from the room, hand pressed to her mouth to muffle her amusement.

Iroh looked after her, a smile on his face, before the rumbling of the dragon drew his attention. "Zuko, my nephew, is that really you?" The old man's words nearly broke his nephew's heart.

"It is, Uncle." He moved away from the dragon, still trying to work its way into his arms, taking his uncle's hand. Another hot wave of air washed over them as Druk huffed at being left alone. "I came as soon as I heard the news."

Iroh tried to lift his head from his pillow, but failed. "That was just a few days ago! How did you manage to get here so quickly?" Iroh's hand tightened around his.

Fire Lord Zuko's face flushed, and he felt like a teenager again, embarrassed at his answer. Maybe he had overreacted, jumped too quickly to come see his Uncle. "I… was worried about you. The letter made… your condition sound dire."

His uncle gave him a tired smile. "I'm so lucky to have such a caring nephew." The old man's eyelids grew heavy, and he slipped into slumber. Tears stung Zuko's eyes, and he knew that he would never regret coming as quickly as he had. The dragon's low rumble made him feel like it agreed.

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Please leave a review letting me know what you think. Next chapter will be up on Friday, if not Thursday due to my office being closed for Thanksgiving. Thank you for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

I apologize for the long gap between updates. Next update will be next Saturday, and I should have another update out the Saturday after that.

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Ira fidgeted uncomfortably. It wasn't that she didn't like having the Fire Lord here. She just didn't know what to do in his presence. On the Fire Lord's previous visits, Iroh had shut down his tea shop and spent that time with his family, meaning Ira enjoined a vacation of sorts. Now they drifted through the shop as Iroh slept, both trying to avoid each other and mumbling through awkward conversations when they were unfortunate enough to encounter one another.

They didn't have much to talk about, the common link between them laying in a back room. Fire Lord Zuko had grilled her about what she had done for his uncle, what doctors had been in to visit him and what medicines they had prescribed. At learning that Ira had sent a letter to Avatar Aang and Katara, tension had visibly bled out of his shoulders. It was the only news she had given him that relieved the tension in his face. The day passed slowly, the normally bustling tea shop quiet and still as a crypt as the owner slept in a back room.

She missed sitting by Iroh's bedside, knitting in the chair that Fire Lord Zuko now occupied while Iroh slept. It wasn't the same, sitting in the deserted restaurant. She wished Garu would come visit her. He would, she knew that, if she only asked, but it felt too improper to meet with him without adequate supervision before they were properly engaged. It would be nice though, she thought as she flexed her tender feet, to have someone to fetch or carry things for her when the wounds reopened.

A familiar grumble reverberated through the empty shop. Shooting to her feet, forgetting about the cuts, she ran to the window as it came again. Pulling open the shutter, she was just in time to see the white fluffy shape soar by. Appa always seemed to make such noises as he descended from the sky, seeming to greet the ground as he prepared to land. A roar answered Appa's, and she heard a distant crash coming from the garden.

"Druk, play nice!" The Fire Lord's cry came from the back. The sound of the garden door slamming pulled her away from the window. She limped to the back door and pulled on her shoes.

Avatar Aang's laughing voice rose over the sound of the two beasts meeting. "Zuko, how did you get a dragon?" There was a roar, and she opened the door to the garden just in time to see another bush burst into flame.

She stood in the doorway for a heartbeat or two, watching Aang and Zuko scramble to extinguish it before Katara uncorked a water skin and put it out with a few deft movements. Ira shook her head, before backing up and shutting the door on the disaster unfolding outside.

A bell tinkled down the hallway, and her eyes grew wide. Iroh. Tearing off her shoes, wincing as she did, she scurried down the hallway to Iroh's room. She could still hear the sounds of the flying beasts meeting each other, and the accompanying shouts of their masters. It must have woken Iroh, but as she rounded the corner into his room, a grin was playing on his face.

"Ira, if this is a dream, do not bother to wake me." He chuckled, trying to strain to see out of the window.

Crossing the room to him, she settled in the chair beside him. "You've taught me how to be a hospitable waitress, but I'm not sure we got to the lessons on how to accommodate dragons and flying bison." She jokingly admonished him. His grin grew wider as he settled back in his pillows.

His response made her laugh, though it was drowned out by another roar that rattled the room. "That's because you cannot play host to such noble creatures. You can only hope they don't eat you out of house and home."

There was a knock on the doorframe, and they both lifted their heads to see Katara, clad in the blue that brought out her eyes so well. "Hello Iroh, Ira. I hope that we are not disturbing you too much."

Iroh lifted a shaky hand to wave off her concerns. "This is the most entertainment we've had in quite some time. Let the men try to tame their beasts while we stay safe inside to laugh at them."

Katara's melodic laugh intermingled with the begrudging growls coming through the window. "They have their work cut out for them." Ira stood and moved out of the way as Katara approached the bed, giving the Waterbender a nod as she did so. "But, so do we, don't we?"

Iroh's mouth formed into a grim line. "Ah, I suppose. Though I'm not sure you'll be able to help much, Master Katara. I can feel it in these old bones of mine, my time is approaching."

"Nonsense. They don't call me Master Katara for nothing." Katara turned to uncork her water skin again, but Ira could see it was to hide her watery eyes. By the time she turned back to Iroh, they had cleared. "Let's see what we can do for you."

The room was filled with a blue light as Katara set to work healing the retired general. Ira assisted where she could, helping shift Iroh so Katara could heal all the cuts caused by shattered pottery, pointing out where the other doctors had set bones or given salves for bruising. She suspected the Waterbender did not need her assistance, but was grateful she was allowed to be a part of the process regardless.

By the time they had finished, Zuko and Aang had joined them. The rumbles coming from outside were now friendly in nature, and Aang had filled the silence with a recount of what had happened outside. Zuko never chimed in, watching Katara work on his uncle with a grim face.

"That's all I can do for you right now." Katara said, finally stepping back and pulling the water back into its skin. "You should rest."

The last sentence was unnecessary. As soon as they had settled Iroh back into bed, his skin clear of any injuries, his eyes had closed.

The four, seeing that Iroh had dozed off, vacated the room. Retreating to the dining area of the Jasmine Dragon, the gloominess of the room seemed to weigh heavily on each of them.

"Ira, will you take a seat? I'd like to take a look at your feet." Katara broke the silence as she approached the nearest table. Ira's face flushed as she obeyed, acutely aware of the pain of each step.

"How did you…" She trailed off as her eyes settled on the crimson stains on the carpet. Her wounds must have reopened, seeped through the bandages, and now she could see that she had trailed blood behind her.

"Nothing a quick healing session can't fix." Katara smiled as she crouched in front of the waitress, pooling water in each of her hands.

Cool relief seeped into her soles, and Ira leaned back in her chair with a content sigh. "Much better. Thank you." The women smiled at each other, but Zuko's shaky voice drew their attention.

"Well, Katara?" It was all he could manage, his jaw tightening after speaking.

The Waterbender let out a sigh as she hauled herself to her feet. "It's not good."

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	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender. Also i hate writing author notes.

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Zuko couldn't understand much of what Katara had to say. The buzzing in his ears was too loud. "What does it all mean?" He cut her off, garnering the shocked stares of his friends.

"It means that… I think he's ready to move on." Katara stated slowly. "There's nothing more I can do."

The buzzing turned into a roaring in his head. His blank face stared at Katara in disbelief, and he wanted to rage, to curse the gods and yell at Katara that there must be something else, that she had to do more. But the grief plain on her face was enough to take the air out of his fire, and he slumped back into a chair.

"How long?" He croaked.

Katara shrugged, letting out a steady breath. "That's up to him. When he's ready, then…" She trailed off as Zuko dropped his head into his hands. He barely heard as she comforted Ira, instructing her to go home and that they would keep her updated. The room slowly emptied, the others trying to give him time to process. He barely noticed, focused on his breathing and tried to keep the emotions at bay. It wouldn't do to grieve now, not when his uncle was still alive. There would be plenty of time after.

Hauling himself to his feet, he trekked wearily to his uncle's room. He was surprised to see Ira alone with his Uncle, fingers nimbly twisting yarn into shape.

"Fire Lord Zuko." She greeted him, standing briefly to offer a bow before resuming her seat. "Your uncle has been sleeping peacefully. Master Katara thinks he will sleep through the night."

He nodded dumbly at her report, watching the wrinkled face of his uncle.

"I've… prepared the room next door for you. In case you would like to rest." She spoke hesitantly, eliciting another nod from the Fire Lord.

"Do you plan on spending the night?" He asked, the words not as friendly as he meant.

Her eyes focused on the red yarn. "If that is permissible, yes."

Zuko finally tore his eyes from Iroh's face, looking out the window towards the dark garden. "Wake me if you need to rest. I'd like someone by his side at all times." He turned and left the room before she could give her reply. He was exhausted, and more than a little chagrinned that Aang and Katara had arrived so soon. He would have liked some time alone with Iroh, to say the things that weighed so heavily on him in the face of Iroh's failing health. But, he reasoned with himself, he would just have to say it in front of his friends too.

/

Iroh managed to pull himself out of the nightmare, but as he lay in bed with his eyes closed, he could still see the white face peering at him, and could still hear the sound of thousands of legs clicking around him. His room seemed deafeningly silent after so much rustling. It was so realistic, he was half afraid if he opened his eyes that he would find the white face inches from his own.

"Iroh? It's safe, you can open your eyes." The familiar voice of the Avatar greeted him softly. He chuckled as he did so, meeting the gray eyes of Aang. The room was dark, lit by a solitary low candle.

"Thank you, Aang. It is a great comfort to know that you are being watched over as you sleep." Iroh shifted in bed, sitting up with the blankets covering his legs. After the healing session with Katara, he felt immensely better. But there was something broken deep inside him that Katara could not reach or heal.

Aang waited until Iroh was settled, hesitating as he spoke. "Katara says she's done all she can. How are you feeling?"

"Much better, thank you for asking. Although I could do with a good cup of hot tea."

Aang jumped, having forgotten himself. "Ira prepared this before she left." He explained as he moved to the end table. Pouring a cup of tea, he smiled at Iroh. "She knew that you would need it."

Iroh inhaled the steam curling from the cup. "She has been so good to me." He rumbled happily.

The smile faded from Aang's face as he watched Iroh take a sip. He wasn't looking forward to this conversation. "Iroh?"

The man hummed happily into his tea.

"Tell me about your nightmares." Aang couldn't stop the cold regret from settling in his stomach at the way Iroh's face drooped, the deepening wrinkles adding years to his face in the dim candlelight.

Iroh tried to wave a hand breezily to dismiss the question, but Aang caught the way his hand shook. "Oh, I'm sure it's just a side effect of spending so much time in bed. What is left after dreaming all your dreams, other than nightmares?"

Aang leaned forward in his chair, resting his elbows on his knees, and Iroh could see the dark circles under his eyes, made worse by the flickering shadows of the candle. "I've been having them too, Iroh. You've been dreaming of a creature with a thousand legs, and just as many faces it cycles through just as fast as you can blink, haven't you?"

Chagrined, Iroh clutched the blanket in his lap, eyes trained on his gnarled hands. "No."

"No?"

Iroh squeezed his eyes shut against the images, the darkness outside the candle light now too ominous. "It's my son. Always my son. I am never quick enough to help him. By the time I reach him, his face is… gone."

Aang leaned back in his chair, understanding dawning on him. "And in its place is just smooth skin."

Miserably Iroh nodded.

Swallowing hard, Aang tried to keep his own fear at bay. He needed to be strong for Iroh's sake. "What happened to your son?"

Iroh took a shaky breath. "It was during my Siege of Ba Sing Sei, when I was still a general. I had just promoted Lu Ten to lieutenant general, one rank below my own. It was… not a popular decision. In my hubris I decided to elevate him to such a position over several, more qualified candidates, and causing him to skip a few ranks." He swallowed back some tears. "He thought he saw a weak spot in the Earth Kingdom defenses. By the time I realized what he was doing with his battalion, and by the time I got any warnings off to him, he was ambushed."

Iroh closed his eyes to the memories. "By the time we got reinforcements there, the Earth Kingdom had retreated, disappearing into the safety of the earth. Most of the battalion was injured or crushed to death."

Aang let him take a few moments to compose himself. "And Lu Ten?" He tried to gently prompt, but he could tell he hadn't given Iroh enough time by the way he shrunk in on himself.

"Barely alive. Stuck in unconsciousness. His spirit had left his body."

"What did you do for him?" Aang asked, already getting a sense of what the answer would be.

Iroh's bloodshot eyes met Aang's gaze. "I went after him. I found a way into the spirit world to track down his spirit and return it to his body."

The wick of the candle dipped, falling into the puddle of melted wax that was all that remained of it. The light went out.

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Please let me know what you think! Next chapter will be up next Saturday!


	8. Chapter 8

Thanks for all the favorites and alerts! I'll try to get the next chapter up next Saturday so stay tuned!

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Katara woke early in the morning. It was always strange to her, how you could wake up in one part of the world with the sun already in the sky, and in another part you would wake up around the same time to find the sun just peeking over the horizon. Sokka had tried to offer an explanation about the way sunlight shifted around the world, proposing something about 'time zones', but she couldn't keep it straight.

Grumbling, she turned to the other side of the bed, seeking the comfort of her husband. But his side of the bed was cold. Something must have been wrong if Aang did not wait for her to wake up as he normally did.

Katara left her room pulling her hair back and trying to smooth it with her fingers. If something was wrong with Iroh, and they all neglected to fetch her to help, she would freeze them all to a wall.

But down the hallway, she saw a pacing Zuko before he noticed her. There was a low murmur of voices coming from Iroh's room, and she recognized the baritone of her husband's voice. "Zuko?"

He stopped abruptly, head snapping up. She could see the tension in his shoulders as he greeted her. "Morning Katara. Aang and Iroh have been up for a few hours talking. They won't let me in." His clothing was rumpled, dark circles hanging under his eyes. He resumed his pacing, the gesture meant to end the conversation.

She wasn't having it. "I'm sure whatever they are talking about will only help Iroh."

He scoffed in reply before spinning on his heel, retreating down the hallway.

/

Toph stood on the street in front of the Jasmine Dragon. Her eyebrows were furrowed as she stood stock still, trying to get a read on the people inside.

"Will you stop fidgeting!" She snapped, whirling to fix her travel companion with her milky eyes.

Sokka held his hands up defensively. "Hey, I'm not moving!"

She jabbed a finger into his chest. "Your insides are! I can't sense anything other than your racing heart and stupid lungs."

Warm fingers closed around her clammy ones as he removed her poking finger. "I'm nervous too, alright? But we can't know until we go inside."

A frustrated growl rolled out of her. "I can't feel inside. Appa is in the backyard and… something else." Her eyebrows furrowed again. "I don't know what. I can't feel anything but your squirmy insides!" She complained loudly.

"Then let's go inside." Sokka suggested, taking a few steps forward. When she didn't follow, he stood still again, waiting for her.

Toph couldn't tell him that she was afraid to go inside. She couldn't admit that she didn't know anyone who had died before, not to Sokka who lost his mother so young, and so many of his tribesmen through the war. She didn't know how to explain that Iroh was like a grandfather to her, and that death terrified her. It made her remember the weightless nothingness that was her dangling off a blimp miles above the earth with only Sokka's fingers keeping her from plummeting.

Something must have crossed her face, because he closed the distance between them again, dropping an arm around her shoulders. "Hey, it's ok. Whatever is going on in there we will be ready for, right? We've faced worse."

She couldn't explain to him that this was her first real encounter with death, not just the fear of it but actual death. And it was happening to Iroh. Her Iroh. He may have been Zuko's uncle, but he felt like the father she never had. And he was dying.

The first few tears that trailed down her cheeks were enough to snap her out of it. Brusquely wiping them away, she lifted her head and stepped out from under Sokka's arm. "Well, what are you waiting for Snoozles?"

/

"Zuko, we need to talk about this." Katara tried insisting, following him into the kitchen. She meant to continue, but he had 'accidentally' knocked over a stack of upside-down tea cups, drowning her out.

He was preoccupying himself by restacking them, when she stepped forward and rested a cool hand on his. "I am married to the last Airbender, master of evasive maneuvers and stalling tactics. You think I don't know what you are doing?"

His shoulders dropped at being caught. "I'm not ready for this Katara. I don't want to be ready for this."

The way she rubbed his shoulder blades was the right amount of comforting. "The important thing is that you are here for him. We all are. And we are here for you, too."

He raised his stinging eyes to thank her, but didn't get the chance. A loud bang from the front of the shop made them both jump. The shock driving them to run to the source of the noise, both raising their hands to fight after years of conditioning.

/

"I sure hope someone has some tea ready, because I am thirsty." Toph yelled across the restaurant, emphasizing the last word. She had kicked the front door open, but not before using her Metalbending to unlock it.

Sokka followed her in, their shadows dancing across the entrance rug. "Jeez Toph, do you always have to make such an entrance!"

"Sokka!" Katara cried, letting her hands drop from their wary position and racing over to her brother. He held open his arms and let her thump into him, the impact staggering him back a few steps.

"Good to see you too, sis." He replied, returning her hug. Now that Toph was inside, her feet firmly planted on the wood, she was peeved that Katara had beat them here. She wasn't surprised to find Zuko though, lingering near the kitchen still as his heart returned to a normal rate. He should have been the first one there. The blurry image of two figures in Iroh's room were hardest to identify. She contented herself with knowing that both hearts were still beating.

Zuko stood awkwardly near the kitchen. "Well Sparky, how about that tea?" Toph asked, feet treading across the soft carpet towards him.

He nodded, remembering too late that she wouldn't see the gesture. "I have some brewing right now."

"Atta boy!"

As he led the way to the kitchen, Sokka was first to broach the subject. "So, how's the old man doing?"

Toph stopped and shot out an arm, timing it perfectly that Sokka walked right into the punch. "Ow." He whined, rubbing his arm while she continued to follow Zuko.

"Iroh" Katara stated pointedly, "Is doing better."

Toph scoffed. "So I came all this way for nothing?"

There were a few heartbeats of silence, and Toph almost apologized for what she said.

"I'm glad you came." Katara stated quietly, sparing her. "Both of you. I don't know how much time he has left. He will be happy to see you both."

The weight of the situation settled on the two newcomers, and a heavy silence fell. Zuko bustled about the familiar kitchen, making far too much noise.

Once the four of them were clutching steaming cups, Sokka took the initiative in his questioning. "Can we go see him, or is he sleeping? And where is Aang, anyway?"

"Iroh and Aang are discussing something important." Toph answered for Katara and Zuko. She could feel the weight of their stares on her. "I'm getting better at seeing through wood." Shrugging as she explained, secretly proud of herself.

Katara nodded. "Aang's been having nightmares lately. I think it has something to do with Iroh, but he hasn't explained."

Taking a tentative sip of his tea, Sokka swallowed thoughtfully. "It's probably some crazy Avatar stuff. Whatever it is, I'm sure he's got it handled."

Toph wasn't so sure about that. Whatever they were talking about, the way that Aang's heart was pounding and his stilted breathing, it all pointed to fear. The Avatar was terrified of something.

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	9. Chapter 9

Posting on Friday night so I don't forget. Next chapter will be up next week!

Thank you for getting this far!

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Aang listened quietly as Iroh detailed his arduous attempt to save his son. How he had trekked to the top of the nearby Eastern Air Temple, desperate to find answers from the remains of the most spiritual of the nations. The struggle of pulling Lu Ten's comatose body behind him in a cart, taking frequent breaks to tend to his son.

He refrained from commenting as Iroh explained meeting Guru Pathik at the temple, and how he had convinced him to help. Aang's heart felt tight when Iroh expressed how he had wished he'd heeded the warnings of Guru Pathik about the dangers of what he was about to do, but how he had undergone months of meditation to open his chakras regardless.

The way Iroh described the struggle of letting go of his son in order to unlock the last chakra was something Aang sympathized with. He could also relate to the feeling of freedom and power when that particular hurdle was overcome. But the rest of Iroh's story took a dark turn.

Finding himself in the Spirit World, Iroh had forgotten everything Guru Pathik had told him. He had raced headlong to the Fog of Lost Souls, where the guru told him his son's spirit must be held. Along the way he disturbed spirits, ruined his surroundings, and drew the attention of the more dangerous spirits.

And despite this, his determination to find his son protected him as he charged into the fog, and how some spirit must have been helping him for his son's spirit to be just a few steps in. Finding his son, retrieving him from the fog, only to be faced with the challenge of convincing Lu Ten that he was really there, and that he was going to save him. The relief he felt when Lu Ten shook off the insanity, and at knowing they would be reunited again. But the laughter they shared as they retraced Iroh's steps out of the Spirit World did not last long. Iroh's recklessness had drawn the attention of a particularly nasty spirit.

"Koh." Aang murmured to himself, the only word he'd spoken in hours.

Each word he had spoken over the past few hours seemed to weigh Iroh down, adding years to him. "I didn't see who it was. I only heard the laughter as my son screamed for mercy." The tears started falling, dropping heavily onto the blanket. "I turned back to save him, but a terrible wind rose. It pushed me away no matter how hard I tried to fight it." Iroh's hands trembled above the blankets, his body being swallowed by the pillows. "I lost my son twice that day."

Aang followed Iroh's watery gaze to a small shrine directly opposite Iroh's headboard. It was tucked in among the other items, eluding notice on a quick glance around the room, but it had a place of prominence within Iroh's sight. "May I?" He asked, standing to approach it.

Iroh gave a nod, wiping his tears with the blanket. Aang carefully freed the painting from the rest of the items, bringing it back with him to the chair. He stared down at the painting of Lu Ten, careful to grasp it with only his fingertips. His heart was pounding in his chest, and he found it difficult to keep his breathing steady. He had seen that face before.

Aang didn't get the chance to answer. They could hear Toph's brazen voice burst through the silence of his tea shop. "He's awake and I'm going to see him!" There was a brief pause as someone else spoke, but Toph's voice rose louder than ever. "Aang doesn't get to hog his attention! Outta my way!"

The door banged open to reveal Toph, still in the metal armor she had designed herself. "Hey Sifu Teaman, how's it going?" She let herself in the room, and Aang almost protested, to insist Iroh needed some time alone. But seeing the way his face brightened as she plopped down on his bed, and as everyone else streamed in, he knew it was just what the man needed right now.

Carefully, he tucked the painting back into its place before anyone could notice, and then he sunk to the floor below it, exhausted.

/

Zuko was last to enter the room. He studied Iroh's damp face as Toph claimed one of his hands and gave it a squeeze. "Good morning to you too, Pupil Metalhead." Iroh responded, a grin on his face despite the tears. "When did you arrive?"

Toph's own face displayed a smile, but the way her blind eyes tried to focus hinted at her inner emotions to those skilled enough to recognize it. "Just a few minutes ago." She responded lightly with a shrug.

"And it is good to see you." Iroh gazed around the room, his expression soft. "How good it is to see all of you."

Zuko looked to Aang on the floor, trying to figure out what was going on. Iroh must have been ok if Aang let everyone in. The Airbender avoided his gaze as he reached to Katara, pulling her into her lap. She giggled as she leaned against him, her face flushing as he nuzzled her ear. Toph remained on Iroh's bed, while Sokka claimed the chair.

Iroh patted the bed on the opposite side of Toph, and Zuko let his misgivings melt away. He smiled at the man as he sat carefully on the edge of the bed, and was granted a firm, comforting grip on the forearm. Whatever had upset Iroh seemed to have past, and the way his clear eyes followed the conversation around the room, his full attention on whoever was speaking, was a vast improvement over the half-dazed state of the last few days.

They spent some time chatting around Iroh's bed, catching up on all the changes since their last encounter. The air was pleasant and filled with the sounds of laughter, but Zuko felt cold inside. He kept catching himself staring at his uncle's laughing face, wondering what had kept Iroh and Aang alone for so long, and what lay beneath that cheerful expression.

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Please let me know what you think! I'd love feedback about how in character everyone is, whether the story is going in an interesting direction, anything!

Thanks!


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